Wire-fence machine



(No Model.) 4 Shets-Sheet 1.

vs. WATSON. WIRE` FENCE MACHINE.

. J/ w 77 @67) Z 0 7' JWM NA PETERS. PhuIo-Lhograpllnr. Wllhington. D. C.

f 4vshe-'tsf-'sheet 2. s. l VMTSON.I

(No Model.)

.H.. N ,I H C A M N E F E R. I W 2. .l 2 2 3 nu N Patented July 21, 1885v` ur, wnshingwn, D, CA

(No'Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. S. WATSON.'

WIRE FENCE MACHINE. No. 322,872. Patented'July 21, 1885.

UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

sAM wAfrsoN, or sfrRAUeHN, INDIANA.

WIRE=FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,872, dated July 21, 1885.

Application led April 29, 1885. (N o model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, SAM WATSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Straughn, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana,

have invented certain new and useful lm-` l scribed, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of the machine when at work; Figs. 2, a vertical section of the twisting-frame; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the spool or reel frame; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the spool or reel frame; Fig. 5, a plan View showing the brake mechanism. Fig. 6, a section on line y y, Fig. 5, the part A* being shifted so that the standards c would be on the liney y, Fig. l; Fig. 7, afront elevation of a twisting-head, showing elongated slots; Fig. S, a section of the device shown in Fig. 7, the line of section being through the slots; Fig. 9, a horizontal section through the posts E, showing the manner in which the wires pass around them.

A represents the base-frame formed of two sections, A and A2.. The section A carries the twisting-frame and A2 the reels and tension devices. Section A is formed of two parts, A3 and 5M. Part A3 has strips a, which overlap the sides of part AL and form guides for the latter.` Upon the part A" are standards a', which support a shaft, a2, having the cog-wheels A5 keyed thereon. This cogwheel meshes with the rack-bar ci on one of the stripsa, and when operated by the lever A6 moves the part A* backward or forward upon the part A, This lever is journaled onthe shaft a2, and is provided with a springpawl, c, which engages with the wheel between the cogs, so that when the lever is pulled one way the wheel will turn in that direction, and force the part A4 backward or forward, as may be desired. By pressing downwardly upon the handle c* the link a5 will lift the pawl from the cogs, so that the lever can be shifted to another space. By this construction l am enabled to move the part A* as far as desired, either backward or forward, and thushave complete control of the shifting parts, an object which is of the greatest importance, as will hereinafter be explained.

Upon the part AL is theupright twisting device B, which consists of the frame B and heads The frame B is provided with openings b'L for the twisting-heads B2, which are journaled'therein. Theheads B2 consist of tubular parts I), having eyes b, and the pinion b2, which meshes with the pinion next to it. The tubular part b forms the journals of the head and projects into the openings or bearings b in the frame. If desired, the eyes b" may be elongated to form slots, as shown in Figs. 7 and S.

To regulate the size of the slots or eyes b, the bars I)2 are provided. These bars have set screws bl, which screw into openings b23 in the needle-head. The wire passes between the bars and bottom of the slots, and when the twisting-frame is in a vertical position the slot is reduced by placing the bar over the openings or holes nearest the bottom of the slot, and fixing said bar in place by means ofthe set screws. When the machine is tilted, the bar is moved to the next set of holes, so that the wire will not be bent in passing through the eyes. In other words, the slot permits the wire to pass out without bending whenever the frame is tilted, and the bar serves as a guide or bearing-face for the wire, so that it will not have too great play while being twisted.

Upon the frame are brackets b3, which serve as bearings for the gear-wheel B3, that meshes with one of the pinions, b2, of the head. rlhe gear-wheel is provided with a crank, by means of which motion is imparted to it and the heads; The frame B is rounded at its lower end, bi, :and provided with trunnions b5, which are journaled in the standards BAk to permit of the twisting-frame being. tilted when the machine is worked on hilly or uneven ground, and keep the pickets in line. The tubular heads allow the wire to adjust IOO itself to the variant conditions of the ground,v` so that no interference with the pivoted adjustment of the twistingframe will take place.

To hold the twisting-frame in position, an arm, B5, is provided. rIhis arm is pivoted to the part A4, and is provided at its upper end .with a slot, b, through which a screw, lf, is passed into the twisting-frame. Vhen it is desired to incline the twisting-frame out of its normal position, the screw is loosened and the twisting-frame is free to move into the position desired. The screw slides in the slot of the arm, which adjusts itself to the movements of the loom. Vhen the latter has reached its proper position, it will be rigidly held in place by simply tightening the screw.

Upon the under side oi' the part A3 is a brake-gear, which consists of brake-shoes c, pivoted to the part A3 in front of its wheels, a rod, c, connecting the brake-shoes, a bar, c2, through which the rod c passes, a lever, c3, to one end of which the draw-bar cZ is pivoted, and the hand-lever c4, which is pivoted to the other end of the lever c3 and i'ulcrumed upon the part A3. Upon the under side of part A3 are studs c5 and c3, which guide the bar c3 and the cleat cl, in which the lever c3 is fulcrumed. InA Fig. 6 the view of stud c3 is obscured by the cleat ci. Its position, however, is indicated by dotted lines. The object of this brake will hereinafter be described.

The section A2, as before stated, carries the reel and tension devices. The reel-frame D is composed of three uprights, d d d", in which the reels are journaled in two verticalseries. One journal of each reel D projects outside the frame, and is provided with square ends (ZX for a crank, D3, which may be used to wind the wire on each reel and to set each wire separately. One of the main objects of this construction is to adjust each wire so that when the twisting frame is inclined toward the pickets the upper reels will give off sufiicient wire to make up for the increased distance between it and the twisting-frame, and take it up wher the twistingi'rame has been righted or brought to a vertical position. If the twisting-frame should be inclined toward the reels, the upper reels should be made to revwind enough wire to compensate for the decreased distance between them and the upper part of the twisting-frame. By this means the tension of all the wires can be made u-niform, no matter what the position of the twisting-frame. If desired, each reel may be provided with a ratchet-wheel, d4, and a pawl, d5, which is pivoted to the upright d2. On the uprights d and da-re flat springs d which are in contact with the ilange (Z7 of tfixe reels to prevent the wire from being drawn off too fast. In other words, it acts as a brake. The contact between the reel and the spring may be regulated by a set-screw, dg. The principal devices, however, on which I rely for tension are the posts E, arranged in two parallel tween three or more posts, as may be neces sary.

To rig the machine, a wire is wound upon each reel separately. When a sufficient quantity has been wound upon them, the loose ends are passed between the vertical posts, which take out the kinks, and also act as tension-regulators. The wires are now passed through the tubular heads, which have two eyes, one eye for each of the reels, on the same horizontal plane. Ihe wires are now attached to the starting-post F. The part A2 is placed at any desired distance from the iirst post, and the part A will be between said post and part A2. Thelength of the wires 1s adjusted or made the same by winding the surplus upon the reels.

The operation of the machine is asv follows: The part A is moved almost against the post, and held there by means of the brake, and about three twists given to the wires by means of the heads. The part A4L is now moved back a sufficient distance to permit of the insertion of a picket between the wires and next to the twisted part. The twisting-frame is now forced against the picket by turning the cog-wheel A5 in the direction of the arrow l. This movement jams the picket tight against the twisted part of the wires. 'Ihe heads are given a half-turn to twist the wire between the twisting-frame and picket, which is now clamped tight in place. The twisting-frame is now gradually moved away from the picket by reversing the action of the lever A, as indicated by the arrow 2. The twisting-heads are revolved at the same time, and, by reason of the tension upon the wire, make a long twist between the pickets, without breaking the iiber or' destroying their elasticity, which would beV the ease if the twisting-frame were held solidly against the picket while the heads were revolved. When the next picket is put in place, the operation is the same, except that the motion of the twisting-head is reversed, so that the wires will not be twisted between the twisting frame and the reel. When the part A4 has been worked forward upon the part A3 until it is ngar the front end, the brake upon the wheels is loosened and the part A moved back sufficiently to permit of the part A1 being moved to its former position at the front end of the machine. The wires will keep the part A in line with the post and part A2, and thus preventflfeviating from the course laid out. W'hcn the part A has been moved up to part A2, the latter is again moved off and affixed in place at any suitable distance.

l. In a wire-fence machine, the combina- IOO IIO

tion of the part or truck A3, the part A, held in place by ways on the part A3 and connected to the latter by mechanism for shifting its position, a twisting-frame pivoted upon the part Ai, and the part A2, having the reels and tension devices.

2. In a Wire-fence machine, the combination of the stationary part A3, the sliding part A4, the twisting-frame having the tubular twisters and pivoted upon part A4, and reels and tension devices for regulating the tension of the wire, substantially as described.-

3. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of the parts As and A, the part A3 having the overlapping strips and rack-bar a, and the part A1L having the cog-wheeljournaled thereon and meshing with rack-bar a3, and having the spring-pawl, substantially as described, whereby the twisting-frame can be forced against the picket and gradually withdrawn as the wire is twisted, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of the part A3, the part A4, having the twisting-frame pivoted thereto, `and the arm z 5 B5 pivoted to the base and provided with the slot for the setscrews by which it is attached to the twisting --frame, substantially as described.

5. In a wire-fence machine, atubular twist- 3o ing-head having the elongated eyes and the bars for regulating the size of the eyes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of the twisting-frame and its supports 3 5 and the part A2, having the reel frame and reels, and the parts E, interposed between the reels and the twisting-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in 4o presence of two witnesses.

A SAM WATSON.l Vitnesses:

' R. NV. SWAIN,

DANIEL T. WHITE. 

